The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), within one week in Abia State, has sealed 37 Pharmacies and 360 patent medicine stores. It also issued Compliance Directives for offences such as poor documentation, failure to display licenses, among others to 27 pharmacies and patent medicine stores.

PCN Deputy Director Enforcement/Leader of the Team that undertook inspection visit to the state, Pharmacist Stephen Esumobi, said that the exercise was in compliance with the PCN Act and in compliant with the marching orders by the National Assembly to close down all illegal pharmacy premises. He further said that the action is also about the directive given to PCN by the Minister of Health to ensure that all warehouses and locations where drugs are stored, sold, distributed or dispensed are registered by the PCN. He advised members of the public to purchase their medicines from licensed pharmacies.

Also, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Kwara State Chapter, has canvassed for prompt implementation of the Kwara State Health Insurance Bill (KWSHIB) recently passed by the state House of Assembly.

The PSN said the timely implementation would alleviate the suffering of many less privileged persons who could not access quality healthcare services. According to the state’s Chairman of the PSN, Pharmacist Olayiwola Olusina, yesterday, in Ilorin, at a briefing heralding the branch’s celebration of its 2017 Health Week, “the health and wellbeing of the citizens of this state will largely determine the prosperity and progress of the state.”